Greetings All,
You may have woken to a wonderful roaring calling coming from the vlei and surrounds this morning!
These are our delightful fellow vlei residents, the endangered Western Leopard Toad.
The Zeekoevlei Western Leopard Toads are currently migrating. Yippee!
This means that they are moving from your gardens and the fields where they live and forage, over to the breeding sites. The males are calling loudly for the big egg laden females to join them in the breeding ponds.
This is history in the making as the Toads are re-establishing Zeekoevlei as a breeding site where they have been absent in any significant numbers for years now.
The started moving a month early this year and can be found crossing our roads around Rondevlei and Zeekoevlei from about 6:45 at night.
We urge you to help us save this species. You can do this by simply slowing down and looking out for them on the Roads.
Stick to 40kph OR less, drive with your hazard lights on, and please please please, stop and let them pass, or if you are happy to help, then place them over the road in the direction that they are going.
Some are off to Rondevlei, others off to Zeekoevlei. They know where they are going so you just need to assist them from being run over.
Roadkill is our biggest enemy and the Western Leopard toads numbers have declined drastically simply due to being run over by unaware residents and other road users. The local residents on “Toad Patrol” are often seen stopping motorists to move toads out of harms way and the amazing part is that the motorists are very, very accommodating once they understand the reasons for the slight delays.
If you are interested in finding out more or even just coming out for a few hours during the night, please contact:
Dagny Warmerdam
Western Leopard Toad Conservation Committee
Co-ordinator | Zeekoevlei, Rondevlei, Grassy Park and surrounds.
083 741 5787
dagnywarmerdam@gmail.com
083 741 5787
dagnywarmerdam@gmail.com
Here Dagny is seen with some of her Toad kids saved on last nights patrols –
Part of the volunteers function is to collate pics and other data about these endangered species … but Dagny goes to crazy levels to ensure that this is achieved … even at 22.30 last night…
The pic above is one of a Female filled with eggs, 12cm and found coming down Coot road on the way to the males calling in Rondevlei. Patrolling resident prevented it from becoming roadkill by stopping a Toyota 4×4… Eish … very close!
Did you know that each toad has a unique design on the top section (like our fingerprints) and this is used to try and identify the toad again?
A question we get asked quite often is … Toad ? What is the difference between Toad and a frog…?
Sharing as info:
https://youtu.be/XMTsjpRgPjc
Enjoy and come and join us … it is hugely interesting and FUN!
Our environment .. Better than TV!
Thank you Dagny for coordinating and to all the dedicated toad helpers! We have not had a run like this of Leopard Toads in a number of years and there are now several calling sites in Zeekoevlei & Rondevlei.
Thanks to all of those who have been part of this fantastic migration, you too Dalton! It’s great to have you out with us with all your enthusiasm and passion for these incredible amphibians. A great community effort. You can hear this toads chorusing their appreciation from the reedbeds all over the neighborhood.
I look forward to the toadlet emergence in about 5-6 weeks time. Let’s keep them safe and keep building community awareness.
Want to help?
You can.
Contact me to find out how!
Dagny it has been so special to be included in the TOAD whatsapp group. Being part of something greater is very satisfying. I appreciate the way you have coordinated everything, thank you. I think we live in a unique wonderland. we need to appreciate it and be grateful as much as we can. There aren’t many people on the globe who can say that they are able to go out safely in their cars at night to herd toads across roads, and as an added bonus get to see porcupine and hippo too! We live on the edge of a nature reserve, it’s like being able to go on our own free game drive anytime we want. Enjoy it, Zeekoevlei residents. I know I do. And thanks again to Dagny for great Toad-altruism.